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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25865524">Their Little Devils</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeChewChew/pseuds/MeChewChew'>MeChewChew</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Established Relationship, Fireworks, Gardens &amp; Gardening, Gen, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Planet Scar Syndrome | Geostigma, Recovery</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:48:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,167</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25865524</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeChewChew/pseuds/MeChewChew</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The residents of Healen Lodge watch their Little Devils play Office and hope their charade doesn't end in a tragedy.</p>
<p>A view of the Turks and Rufus during their time at Healen.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rufus Shinra/Tseng</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>77</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Their Little Devils</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s late in the evening, or early in the morning, rather, when the residents of Cliff Resort see a familiar sleek, black car roll up the hill and behind the building. No one should be awake right now, but for those racked with pain, sleep doesn’t come easy. The few awake sit on their balconies and watch as they always do. It’s a cool night with no breeze, only a few lights on the outside of the building glow a soft yellow.</p>
<p>Car doors open and familiar black suits emerge. Ever since the residents have been moved here, they’ve seen them around. Shinra’s crows, they’re known as; Always immaculately dressed and helping out, albeit not without a slightly intimidating aura around them. Anyone who’s anyone knows that they bring bad news. After all, a group of crows is called a murder.</p>
<p>This is new though. Some of the residents lean forward as the dark haired man, the Chief, as they’ve only heard him referred as, pulls out a figure draped in white from the back seat. Pale, shaking arms hidden beneath the blanket slide up to wrap themselves around his neck. The chief holds the bundle in his arms closer to himself and whispers.</p>
<p>The voyeurs of Cliff Resort watch silently as the murder heads inside, pretending not the hear the creaking of the floorboards or the whimpers slipping through the thin walls as water runs to fill up a bath.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>After the mysterious white figure appeared, the crows were rarely seen outside of their suite except to help the nurses and doctor. Rumors spread through the building of who could have come. Perhaps one of the Shinra executives? It must be. Who else would the infamous Turks be hiding so carefully? None of the staff would reveal the identity, they were under strict secrecy to keep their mouths shut, lest something happen to them or their family members.</p>
<p>One of the lead nurses heads to the door at the end of the hallway on the highest level of the building. She knocks and waits for one of the Turks to peer through the eyehole before letting her in. She wheels in her supplies and goes to the farthest room, the prickling sensation of eyes on her ever present. The door’s already open, but she knocks anyway to alert them of her presence. The Chief stands up from where he was sitting beside the bed and takes a step back to give her room.</p>
<p>She steps up and takes a cursory glance at the resort’s prized patient. The President is pale as always, hands slightly shaking ever since he’s been brought in. His face is flushed and a light sheen of sweat covers his forehead. She slips a thermometer under his tongue and waits until it beeps.</p>
<p>102.</p>
<p>She’s careful to keep her face neutral as to not worry the patient or the crow beside her.</p>
<p>With a gentle touch, slow and deliberate, she pulls up his loose sleeves. Black oozes from the gauze already wrapped there, but it’s not as bad as the worst patients. It’s silent in the room as she changes the bandages.</p>
<p>She doesn’t question the shattered clock in the corner of the room.</p>
<p>When you’re running on limited time, the last thing you need to be reminded of is the ticking of the clock.</p>
<p>She ties a band around the President’s arm and prepares a syringe of the stimulant. She pretends not to see the look of anguish on either of the faces in the room as she inserts the needle. The effects of the stimulant relieve the pain of geostigma, but not without the patient feeling dazed and confused.</p>
<p>She leaves as silently as she came, a sincere thank you from several crows on her way out.</p>
<p>It’s difficult for them, she knows.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>A few weeks into the new arrival, the residents see two of the crows leave more often. They learn that they’re called Reno and Rude. Apparently, they’ve been assigned to build some grand monument in the new city.</p>
<p>They’re like a breath of fresh air in the resort, Reno always boisterous as he leaves in the morning and comes back in the early evening. Rude even offers to help fix a few things around the place. The two can be heard bickering throughout the building when something doesn’t work out, but it’s always fun to listen to.</p>
<p>A few of them are in the main area of the resort when they overhear that Rude has donated his cells for research. His partner sounds a bit concerned, but Rude says it’s not contagious. He doesn’t say anything else about it, just suggest that they go practice outside.</p>
<p>It’s quite a show as the residents flock outside to watch and bet on who’s going to win each round.</p>
<p>They forget that they’re in pain for awhile.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Elena, as she had introduced herself to some of the residents, had also been seen out and about, scouting the area while Reno and Rude worked on the monument. The residents adored her and her spunk; they always were on her side when she got into an argument with Reno. The elderly patients were quick to dote on her like the granddaughter they never had.</p>
<p>She was always a helpful hand. Easier to approach than Rude, but just as courteous. Fun like Reno, but not quite as callous. Either ways, she wanted to do her best in every way possible.</p>
<p>When the three Turks were available, they would sit around and play with the residents. Sometimes cards, sometimes storytelling, and sometimes they would help peel fruit for the residents to eat. It’s the most fun the patients have when one of the Turks is free to play.</p>
<p>Elena can be heard yelling through the walls one day, asking the Doctor how he can be so stingy as to only want enough stimulant for the people of the resort and not the people in the city who are also suffering.</p>
<p>The next day, she leaves to go hunt down supplies for more stimulant. It’s noticeably quieter in the resort until she’s back a week later, all smiles despite the bags under her eyes.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>The Doctor is found dead one morning, shot by a relative of one of the former patients.</p>
<p>They never see the body and they’re too afraid to ask.</p>
<p>The patients wake up to see the leader of the crows in a makeshift garden, jacket folded over a chair and dress shirt rolled up to his elbows. He kneels down by a newly turned over patch of soil and plants flowers in the ground.</p>
<p>Some of them who are brave enough come outside and kneel beside him, giving him tips and helping him garden. They learn that his name is Tseng. They ask him where he got the flowers from; they were already fully grown and blooming beautifully. He just says a place in the slums.</p>
<p>They don’t notice the white figure sitting on the highest balcony watching them with a small smile, white clothing billowing in the wind.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>It’s not until months later that they confirm that the last resident of their resort is the owner himself.</p>
<p>The two are out in the garden. Tseng stands beside the mysterious man in white, sitting in a wheelchair as they gaze out into the sunset, both haloed by the golden light. They watch as Tseng kneels down so the white figure can say something to him. Only those with the best eye sight can see the rare smile appear on the man’s usually stoic face.</p>
<p>Tseng leans forward and plucks a purple flower from the garden, handing it to the other. A pale hand takes it and just turns it around to slowly place it into the buttonhole on Tseng’s lapel, fingers struggling with the fine movements.</p>
<p>They watch with bated breath as the wind blows by and knocks the blanket off the head of their white figure to reveal Rufus Shinra.</p>
<p>Tseng waits patiently until Rufus can finally place the flower in before he cups his jaw and leans in.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>The little devils.</p>
<p>That’s what the residents have decided to rename the crows in their flock.</p>
<p>Like little children, they played Office. Always dressed in their business attire and reporting back and forth; they played Office better than most people have worked Office.</p>
<p>It’s almost as if they had nothing else to do. No home to return to. What would be left for them if they stopped the charade?</p>
<p>There is no more Shinra Electric Company. No more prestige to the name of Rufus Shinra. No more need for an Office of Administrative Research.</p>
<p>Maybe they’d break if they weren’t playing their pretend company anymore.</p>
<p>Maybe this play is all they have left of a normal life.</p>
<p>Maybe they don’t realize that they have a home together now.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>The residents hear a shout from Reno one day from the bottom of the hill as he repaints a sign. They look out to see the President explaining something, but can’t hear him.</p>
<p>Later that day, they gather up to watch Rufus Shina introduce himself and announce that the resort is being renamed to Healen Lodge. They ask what it stands for, and he simply graces them with a smile.</p>
<p>“To heal the world.”</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>It takes a while before the residents can warm up to the Shinra President, he rarely leaves his room after all.</p>
<p>Two of the residents speak highly of him though, talking about his bravery and determination to save as many people as he could in the cave where they were entrapped. It’s difficult to imagine a man with Rufus’ polished look in the scenario, but they’re not one to doubt their fellow patients.</p>
<p>It must be a special night when Tseng wheels Rufus out to the main shared space while the residents are playing cards with the three other Turks. Rufus takes a small briefcase from his lap, hidden under the blanket and passes it to Reno, who spreads it out on the table.</p>
<p>Inside are a set of poker chips and Rufus is happy to offer himself as a teacher to the residents. They spend the rest of the week learning the ropes of the game until they’re semi-confident in the game. You could never be 100% confident around Rufus Shinra, after all.</p>
<p>It becomes a weekly event every Friday night for them to host a poker tournament. Out of courtesy, the person who wins second place gets the prize since Rufus is deemed unbeatable at the game.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>One night, Reno and Rude come sauntering in with bags in both of their arms. The younger residents are ecstatic about the contents of the bags, but Reno shushes them before they can tell everyone else. It’s a surprise!</p>
<p>That night, Tseng and Rufus sit on the balcony, watching bright fireworks illuminate the night sky. Reno and Elena are yelling below as they set them off, running around to get away from the blasts. Rude’s passing out sparklers so the residents can participate more than just watch.</p>
<p>Tseng pulls out a sparkler from a small box Rude had given him along with a match. He places the end into Rufus’ hand and wraps his hand around it so that they’re both holding it, making sure it doesn’t fall. He uses his other hand to light the sparkler before pocketing it once more, pulling out something else instead.</p>
<p>The small, flashy light is bright between their hands, but neither of them are looking at it. Instead, both sets of eyes are on the small, velvet box in Tseng’s hand.</p>
<p>Rufus says yes and kisses him before Tseng can even kneel down.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>They lose their first patient around dinner time. They had been struggling for a few days, black oozing from their wounds and mouth. The nurses said that there was nothing else that could be done.</p>
<p>One moment they were writhing in pain and the next they had completely stilled. One moment later and they had disappeared into the lifestream, leaving only green sparkles behind.</p>
<p>It’s a solemn night and everyone retires early to grieve and accept death in their own way.</p>
<p>Reno, Rude, and Elena sit on the couch of their suite, a drink to each of them as they sit in silence. Reno hands a tissue to both of them, rubbing their shoulders comfortingly despite his own numbed feelings.</p>
<p>They pretend not to hear the sobbing from the adjacent room as Rufus clings to Tseng, hiding his head into his shoulder as Tseng nuzzles his head, whispering that they’ll find a cure despite the tears running down his own cheeks.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>The Turks are out more often than they are in now. It’s been weeks since the residents have been able to sit down and play with them. The atmosphere of Healen has been heavy.</p>
<p>Every day and every night more of their residents die.</p>
<p>Reno and Rude always come back with a big sigh, footsteps sluggish as they head back to their floor. Tseng and Elena are barely seen, always in and out before anyone can notice. Rufus hasn’t been seen out of his room in months.</p>
<p>They figure that the President must be getting worse. The residents have taken to tending to the garden themselves in the absence of the Turks. Occasionally, they pick a few flowers and wrap it up with whatever they can find and place it outside the Shinra suite. There’s always a thank you note placed in the shared space the day after.</p>
<p>It’s a bit encouraging, seeing the thank you note. It helps motivate the residents to not give up and fight against the stigma, keeping their minds occupied with hobbies.</p>
<p>A notary comes one day and things start declining again. Tseng walks him and another man, whom they learn is the WRO leader, Reeve Tuesti, in and they disappear up the stairs. They don’t hear anything that happens, but Mr. Tuesti and the notary come back down alone an hour later, a somber shadow across their faces.</p>
<p>Reeve has been signed over to lead the Shinra Company after Rufus’ death.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>They watch as all four Turks leave one morning, a gray cast to their skin as they head off once more. It’s rare for all of them to be leaving together and leaving the President alone, but it’s not their place to ask.</p>
<p>No one was there when Tseng had sat with Rufus for hours and waited for him to give them permission to go on the mission.</p>
<p>Midday, all the patients are wracked with pain around the same time. The nurses are overwhelmed as they try to help everyone. Rufus writhes on the bed and composes himself just enough to yell through the door to the nurse that comes to check on him to go help the others instead. He watches as the stigma pours through his infected areas and the pain is so grueling that he vomits black over the side of his bed.</p>
<p>Later that night, the door slams open and Reno and Rude come running in and up the stairs. They find him passed out on the bed, laying in a black puddle of his own making. Rude gently shakes him awake and he’s barely cognizant enough to understand the report they’re giving him as they draw him a bath and clean him up.</p>
<p>Figures at the Northern Crater?</p>
<p>Jenova’s head?</p>
<p>Tseng and Elena?</p>
<p>Captured?</p>
<p>He splashes one hand out of the water and grips Rude’s tie, pulling as tight as he can. “What do you mean…that they’re captured?” He gasps out, trying to focus on the man in front of him, but his vision is swimming. Rude gently pries Rufus’ hand off and continues cleaning him up.</p>
<p>“Sir, what should we do?”</p>
<p>The residents are all evacuated to a nearby town that night.</p>
<p>While Reno and Rude are asleep in their room after leading the evacuation, Rufus gets a phone call the next morning. Strange, as only a select few know his number. Tseng.</p>
<p>He picks up the phone and is greeted with the voice of an adolescent looking for his mother.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>The residents don’t know what happens as they stay in their temporary housing for the next few days.</p>
<p>They don’t have privy to the knowledge of black smoke coming through the entrance of Rufus’ door nor to Reno and Rude being taken down by a Sephiroth remnant that comes to a kneel in front of the President.</p>
<p>They don’t get to witness the ire that Rufus feels at the sight of Tseng and Elena’s ID blood-stained cards nor the pain he hides as Kadaj shows him a glimpse of what he could become.</p>
<p>They don’t get to feel the fear coursing through his body with Jenova’s head sitting in his lap as he’s wheeled to a half constructed building with a mad teenager who throws around summons too easily.</p>
<p>They don’t get the know what Rufus Shinra was thinking when he stood up and uncovered the box only to throw it off the side of building. Some heard that he jumped after it. Some heard that he got attacked and slipped off the side of the building.</p>
<p>They don’t get to watch as Tseng and Elena come racing from opposite rooftops to catch him with a net nor see the multiple fights that Reno and Rude had gotten into on the ground and in the helicopter.</p>
<p>All they feel is a rumble. A a news reporter on TV yelling about a huge explosion on one of the highways. The residents watch as a colorful plume of smoke arises on the screen and recognize the only people who could be the owners of such creation.</p>
<p>As the healing rain comes down and they’re all running outside to feel it, they can only imagine how excited their little devils must feel; how relieved and happy that their play isn’t going to end in tragedy.</p>
<p>They can’t even imagine the tears mixing with the rain as the Turks all swoop Rufus into a big hug.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Healen Lodge is decorated from head to toe in decorations. They’re all eating and celebrating in the shared space. For many of them, it will be their last time in the building. It’s a bittersweet ending.</p>
<p>The building will be continued to be used as a sanitarium for those with long term diseases and recovery from the stigma, but many of them have opted to go home to their families to recover.</p>
<p>Rufus sits at the head of the table and gives a small speech, still in his wheel chair. The Turks clap politely except Reno who hoots along with the rest of the residents. Rufus thanks everyone for their hard work in fighting and then him and the Turks leave the festivities for the night.</p>
<p>The next morning, they’re gone. The only thing left of them is the blooming garden in the back.</p>
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